Hong Kong Long Gone?

Bob Englehart

When England handed Hong Kong back to China on July 1, 1997 ending a 99-year lease, I wondered how long democratic capitalism and dictatorial communism could peacefully co-exist. The answer turns out to be a little more than 17 years. I’m surprised it lasted this long. Having a little bit of freedom in a totalitarian country is like being a little bit pregnant. I had thought back then that if anybody could make the combination of communism and capitalism work it would be the iron-fisted Chinese government. The trouble is, the combination seems to be working on the mainland, but on Hong Kong Island, they’re not thinking about work. They’re thinking about free elections to choose their leaders. The protesters have caught the world’s imagination by using umbrellas to ward off pepper spray, hence “The Umbrella Revolution.” Sounds sweet, much like “Arab Spring.” How did that work out for the Middle East?